CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 38, 18 April 1891, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH.

(from our own correspondent.) Saturday. There has been a lot of talk over the Derritt Prime Warden business this week, and the Canterbury Jockey Club have been somewhat roundly abused for not having made Derritt s punishment more severe, and for not having got at the nominator of the animal in question directly instead of disqualifying the horse only. “ Lookers on see most of the game ” is an old saying, and as the public cannot always get behind the scenes, they do not learn the ins and outs of things, and somehow our Metropolitan Racing Clubs manage to exclude the press from their enquiries, and let as little be known as possible.’ From what I can gather Derritt was examined, denied having pulled the colt, but admitted that he lost the race through bad riding; but his story was unsatisfactory in the eyes of the stewards, and they examined the nominators, who, it appears, were only partly interested in the animal with others who leased him from his breeder, Mr. Yates, a decent settler near Ashburton, who receives a certain per centage of his winnings. It was proved by some of those connected with the colt that they had backed him, and totalisator tickets were forthcoming to show this, and. as Derritt stoutly denied having received instructions to ride other than in a straightforward manner, the stewards, were in a dilemma who to punish, so they decided that as one partner should be responsible for the actions of another to disqualify the colt for six months, and thus deprive the lessees of his services would be the best wav. A spell will do the colt good, and the .innocent will suffer with the guilty if any one other than Derritt is to blame. I have not heard that the syndicate found fault with Derritt’s horsemanship, or whether there will be any split amongst the sleeping partners in the running of the horse ; but while they and Derritt were very lucky in not getting wiped put altogether, it is pretty well certain that owners round this way will not be backward in overlooking Derritt’s offence, and he will doubtless be put up quite as often as he was before. 1 The annual meeting of the Ellesmere Racing Club was held on Thursday, and the fields were weak the attendance was good, and the investments of the public totalled more than double those of last year, some £1,400 being put through. The Maiden Hurdle Race introduced us to Idler, a chestnut son of Bundoora and a mare called Lady Dagworth, and he proved himself a useful young gelding. He jumped very green, but showed pace, and afterwards won a Maiden Flat Race, but in neither case was the company good. Harkaway 7st 131 b, ( beat Red Cross 7st 91b, Rangiora 6st, Devonshire Lass 6st 91b, in the Cup race. Rangiora came very fast at the finish, but lost all chance of winning by getting away badly. The race was run in 2min 45sec. Red Cross, Sst 121 b, was made favourite in the Flying, but had to put up with defeat at the hands of Adieu, 7st 21b, who, like Harkaway, is by Chancellor. Harkaway’s dam is not so well known, as Farewell, who in addition to Adieu claims Marlborough as one of her property. In this race the largest field of the day started, and after Nellie Gray 6st, who was third, came Harkaway 9st 21b, including a penalty of 71bs for winning the Cup. The div. in this race was the only good one of the day, viz., £7 16s. Twenty-five horses started for the Trot, and Whakamio, a mare that has done nothing worth talking about, got home easily, after working her way through nineteen horses in front of her, but none of these worked well enough to go a mile, let alone three. Rangiora, Bst, beat Nellie Gray, 7st 111 b, and others in the Consolation. Rangiora is a big four-year-old gelding, by .Bundoora from Rebecca, a daughter of Becky Sharp, and should make an out and out good stick horse if he trains on. Dan O’Brien “the lucky” is the name applied to the Londsdale Lodge trainer, and he came back from Australia the other day. Just before leaving he sold a half share in Whimbrel to Nicholson, the Melbourne trainer. Whimbrel has not turned out so good a spec as was anticipated, and lucky Dan no doubt finds that he made a mistake in not selling after the A.J.C. Derby. Already the names of a number of wellknown gentlemen are mentioned as likely

candidates to act as handicappers to the Canter bury Jockey Club, and Messrs. Evett, Danvers’ and Henrv from the North, Dowse from the South, and Creswell and G. P. Williams, local men, are considered certain to send in applications. I have no doubt that past records will be taken into account, and each, of the gentlemen mentioned have form to point to. To discuss the prospects of any one man or each of those mentioned would be idle until it is more definitely known who will really go in for the berth —which for the information of likely aspirants I may say will not interfere with their working for other clubs, provided, of course, that dates do not clash, or that attendance at every meeting of the C.J.C. is ensured. This I believe will be required of the successful man. £l5O is not a big screw, but other clubs would probably support a good man, in which case the billet would be worth going for.